Friday, March 28, 2014

Elvis Costello has announced ten new "SOLO" tour dates in North America beginning June 9th, the first time since 1999 (when touring with keyboardist Steve Nieve) that he's headlined the area with such a stripped down setup. For the last several years, Costello has been playing about a month of solo dates in the U.S. a year, region by region. They are some of the most adventurous and lauded performances of his career -- the last run in November 2013 was called “remarkable” (Esquire) and "exhilarating" (American Songwriter) -- and they reflect the musician's astonishing breadth of material.

In Los Angeles in 2012, the OC Register called Costello's solo show "spellbinding" and said that Costello's set list "touched on cornerstone numbers and obscurities of his own, but...also dipped back to pre-Elvis, pre-Beatles, pre-the-other-Elvis and prewar tunes that illustrated his familial roots in the riches of both the Great American Songbook and England’s dance hall and music theater traditions."

In November, 2013, the DCist pointed out that "It’d be tough to name another songwriter who’s produced as much original material over the last 35 years, and it’s impossible to name another who mines his back catalog as equitably onstage. Most artists have only a handful of songs they’ll ever play from any particular album. With Elvis, any tune he’s ever released is fair game." The Washington Post wrote that “Costello showed that real rockers don’t need amplification or sound processors to rock out."

Written by Ugly Ducklings' lead vocalist Dave Bingham, Noise From The North End: The Amazing Story Of The Ugly Ducklings follows the career of the legendary 60s garage rock band from their Scarborough origins through their major hit parade successes to their re-emegernce as thefavourite 60s gararge band of the punk rock movement in New York & Toronto and beyond.Exploits and touring stories abound, with descriptions of opening for The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boysand many other iconic acts of the 60s, 70s, 80s & 90s.Of particular note are the descriptions of recording their seminal debut album Somewhere Outside in Toronto, their snotty proto-punk anthem Nothin' andtheir chart topping hit Gaslight in New York during the summer of love in 1967. Have a look at an excerpt right here.

With thousands of acts angling for SXSW showcase spots, getting one show during the annual week long mega music confab is a feat in itself. Alejandro Escovedo will be doing five shows this year. Here's where you'll find him...

Alejandro Escovedo at Lucy’s Fried Chicken: Taking some time out to play an intimate set at an Austin Favorite, come by Lucy’s Fried Chicken on Wednesday March 12th at 5 PM to see this performance.

Alejandro Escovedo and Richard Barone Present aTribute to Lou Reed: With an all-star cast of musicians and a historic setting at The Paramount Theater, the stage is set for what promises to be one of the most memorable shows of SXSW. Artists across a wide spectrum of genres come together to play and honor the music of Lou Reed on March 14th. Check this link for more info.

Alejandro Escovedo hostsMaria’s Taco Xpress: An Austin institution filled to the brim with good food and good music for an entire day! Come out to Maria’s Taco Xpress on Saturday March 15th for a bite to eat and a chance to catch one of over a dozen different artists to play that day.

Plowboy Records Showcase at The Saxon Pub: Late in the evening on Saturday March 15th. Come by at 10 PM to grab a drink and catch Alejandro performing a set.

The Annual Continental Club Closeout Bash: The tradition continues! Join us and over a dozen other artists (will old pals Peter Buck and/or Steve Wynn show up?) in a celebration of another successful SXSW with an entire day of great music and great friends. Come for just a drink, or stay through to the early hours of the morning. Hey, you can sleep on the plane home!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Having Tom Waits and Johnny Depp as executive producers should help Chuck sell a few copies.

Red Beans and Weiss, the newest album from Los Angeles legend Chuck E. Weiss, will be released April 15 by ANTI- Records. This album marks Weiss’ first release since his 2006 album, 23rd & Stout, which USA Today declared, “cuts across a colorful lyrical landscape that includes musty old saloons, 4 a.m. prank phone calls and hopeless searches for the junky “antique” dealers who once dominated the suburban boulevards of L.A. before strip malls replaced them.”

Weiss has had the extraordinary fortune to record his latest album Red Beans & Weiss without the pressure of a time clock. He began recording in October 2012 with strong encouragement by his friends and mentors, Tom Waits and Johnny Depp, who are executive producing this album, which all consider to be Weiss’ best work yet. Check out "Boston Blackie" below.

Weiss began his career playing drums in hometown Denver, where he was discovered by Lightnin’ Hopkins and proceeded to tour and record with a surplus of legends, including Hopkins, Sunnyland Slim, Dr. John and Willie Dixon, who once said of Weiss something along the lines of, “Ain’t ya got ears son? That boy with the big old head be one of the best musicians in this town, this country even.”

Weiss remained in Colorado for a period of time and taught a class on the history of American music at The University of Colorado at Boulder before making a move to the West Coast. He became friends with Tom Waits in 1973 when they played at the same venue in Denver. In 1975, Waits recorded a couple of songs they had written together. Weiss traveled to L.A. for the recording and decided to stay.

His early days in L.A. were spent as a cook at the Troubadour club where he eventually befriended Rickie Lee Jones in late 1977/early 1978 and was forever immortalized in her 1979 hit song “Chuck E’s in Love.”

In 1981 Select Records released a series of demos/unfinished songs called The Other Side of Town. As a result of that release Weiss put together his band, G-d Damn Liars, who performed weekly gigs at a nightclub in L.A. that he and good friend Johnny Depp later converted into the illustrious Viper Room. Weiss has released two other albums, Extremely Cool and Old Souls & Wolf Tickets in addition to his 2006 LP of 23rd & Stout.

Yes you heard that right and yes it is the 60’s garage rock band THE SONICS releasing an unheard track called "Bad Betty" on Muddy Roots Music Recordings. What can possibly make this sweeter? Adding "I Like It Small" by MUDHONEY to this 7” split sure the hell would!
It will be available on Record Store Day (April 19, 2014) at participating independent retail stores.
So get your ass down to the local record shop and get a copy! This is a one time only pressing to add to your rare collection. Here's the Mudhoney track...

You may be familiar with Beau Williams as an accomplished modern soul
artist for Capitol Records in the mid 80's. But years before his over-polished Capitol
releases, the Houston-based crooner cut a couple of surprisingly funky singles for the legendary Ovide label circa 1970-71 under the alias Bobo Mr. Soul. One was a Honey Cone answer song cleverly titled "Answer To The Want Ads" and the other being the Phillip Mitchell-penned "Hitchhike to Heartbreak Road" (originally cut by Curtis Wiggins) which was re-released by Hi in 1972. That was all most of us heard from Bobo until he resurfaced as Beau Williams on Star Search. But apparently our man recorded two more powerfully funky soul sides and submitted them
as a demo to Lionel Whitfield's Whit label but for whatever reason, "I'll Be Home Soon" and "Outside Love" remained on the shelf.

The lost tracks were rediscovered in 2011 by David Haffner and Brian Sears of
Magnetic Recordings from the tape archive of TSU jazz director, Howard
Harris who came into the possession of this material through his long-standing working relationship with
Whitfield. The undeniably funky drumming sadly goes unaccredited
but the understated arrangements and production combined with such
emotionally-charged lyrics make for something quite special. Truth & Soul Records has just released a limited 500 copy pressing
with hand stamped labels which is sure to become a sought-after cult classic.